Snow remover



Sept. 1, 1925.

C. M. STARNER SNOW REMOVER Fi le e 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORtiMSiarn er Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

" mes 1,552,355 PAT-E O F'Fl C E,

CLARENCE M. STARNE-R, oF'G RnNERs, PENNSYLVANIA, 'A'ssIeNoR- on ONE-HALFT JJW; wIGLnoF. GOODYEAR, PENNSYLVANIA.

SNOW REMOVER.

Application filed June-2, 1924. Serial No. 717,363.

To all whom it may concern: 1

' Be it known that I, CLARENCE M; STARNER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Gardners, in the. county of'Adamsr and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in SnowRemovers, of

which the following a specification.

This invention relates to meansfor' removing snow from the rails ofatrack, and

contemplates the useyof aflpair of burners adapted to be-suspended Ifrom a car into close proximity with the rails of the track ways, theburners having va lve controlled communication with a fuel supply tank,from which the fuel is conveyed to the burner under airpressure. A

In carrying out the invention I provide a novel construction of'meansfor supporting theburners for adjustment with relation to the rails ofthetrack,.so thatthe snow can bequickly' removed from either side ofsaid rails,-and also from the cross ties adjacent the rails. i

The natureand advantages of the inventionwill be better understood whenthe following detai'leddescriptigon is read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

I In-the drawings forming part ofthis application, like numerals ofreference -indicate similar parts in the several views.

' On the drawings v V Figure 1 is a view showing how the invention ismountedupona car, andthe relation of the burners with respect to therails of the track, 1

Figure 2 is a section'alv'iew taken'on'the line 22 of Figure l, r I

Figure 3 is an enlarged'view:p'artlyf'in section of one of the burnersand'it's adjusting means, 7 e

'F'gure 4 is anen'la rged view partly in section showing the meansemployed for adjusting the burner,

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the manner in which the burner issupported. Referring to the drawing in detail, A indicates generally acar upon which is mounted the mechanism or device forming the subjectmatter of the present invention. This device essentially consists of apair of burners adapted to be arranged directly above but in closeproximity to the rails 10 of the track, this position ofpartsf-being'clearly illustrated in Figure 2. These burners are adapted to besupplied with" a liquid fuel contained in: a tank 11 which 1s mounted onsome appropriate part of the car A. The tank is of course provided "witha' filling tube 12 normally closed by aremov'able cap. The fuelfrom thetank 11' is conveyed to the burners under compressedcommunicationbet'w'een the air supply pipe 14 and the tank 11. Leadingfrom one end of the, pipe 14 is a fuel supply pipe16,

which is coupled tolfiexible pipe sections 17 which extend from the'fuel supply pipe 16 to 'th'e burners" arranged adjacent the" rails 10of the-track. A valve 18 is carriedby'the coupling '19 to control theflow or passage of the fuel from the supply pipe 16 to the respectiveburners. The fuel is forced hem the tank j 11 underairpressure"through"a pipe 2O which "enters the tank ll adja'cent one'endthereof, and'which pipe '20 communicates with the pipe 14; "at apointimmediatelyadjacent'the connection between this pipe '14: and thefuel supply pipe l6, so that the fuel passes upwardly through the pipe20 into the pipe'le, and thence into the supply pipe 16, from where itis conveyed' to-the "respective burners. -A valve 21-isarrangedin'the'pipe 14: to prevent the compressed air from, passingthrough this pipe-into the supplypipe 16, or this valve may beslightlyopened to permit a portion ofthe air to pass directly throughthe pipe 14 into the'supply pipe 16 if desired.

Each of the burners a-bove referred to include spaced parallel pipes 22and 23 re- 24, while the lower pipe 23 of the burner is perforated as at'25 throughout its entire length. One end of the pipe 22 of the Vburneris offset as at 26, which endis coupled to one of the flexiblepipes 17 above referred to, while the corresponding end of the pipe 23is closed. Consequently the fuel from the supply tank 11 is forced intoone end of the pipe 22, and flows through this pipe into the pipe 23through the elbow 24;, a

and is burned along the line of perforations 25. iberefore the flame isarranged in close proximityto therails 10, and quickly melts and removesthe snow from about the rails as will be readily understood. In order toprovide a highly combustible mixture when the fuel enters the pipe 23, Iarrange the pipe 22 directly above the pipe 23, so that the pipe 22 issubjected to the heat of the burner and in this manner the fuel is preheated and vaporized in the pipe 22 before it enters the pipeFurthermore to 0011 fine the heat about the pipe 2-2 for the purposejust mentioned I also make use of a casing 27 which is of substantiallysemi-cylindrical contour in cross section, and which section embraces orhouses the pipe 22, to confine the heat about this pipe.

The pipes 22 and 23 of each burner are supported by spaced collars 28,and each of these collars is formed with. an annular groove 29 toreceive a two part hearing as clearly shown'in Figures 4 and 5. Therespective parts of this bearing are indicated at 30, which parts arehingedly connected together as at 31, and having their free endsextended to provide spaced parallel supports 32 which are riveted orotherwise suitably secured to brackets 33 secured to the underside ofthe car A as illustrated. Consequently the burnerincluding the collars28 is supported by the bearings just described, the burner and collarsbeing mounted for rotation in said bearings, so that the flame from theburner can be properly directed against either side of the adjacent-rail 10 as the 00- casion may require. The flexible pipes 17connected with the respective burners allow said burners to be partiallyrotated in either direction to properly direct the flame according tothe conditions or circumstances.

F or controlling the adjustment of the burners in the manner justmentioned, I provide one of the collars 28 of each burner with a curvedrack bar 34, and meshing with each rack bar is a toothed segment 35.Rise ing from each segment is a lever 36 which is journaled in asuitable bearing 37 supported on the bracket 33. These levers 36 projectwithin the car A through slots 38 provided in the bottom or floor of thecar, thus disposing said levers 36 within convenient reach of theoperator, whereby said levers can be easily manipulated from inside ofthe car. It will be seen upon rocking of the levers the bars will berotated about their axes and thereby positioned so that the flame willbe directed to the inside or outside of the rails 10. The invention isvery simple'in construction, easy to manipulate, and designed to removesnow and ice from about the rails of a track way, which cannot beotherwise easily removed by a snow plow or sweeper and accomplish thedesired'result in quick order.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description, the nature andadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to haveit understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown anddescribed, and that such changes maybe resorted to when desired asfallwithin the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim is:

1. Car carried means for removing snow from the rails of a track, saidmeans in cluding burners supported beneath the car and arranged in closeproximity to the rails, each burner including spaced pipes communicatingwith each other at one end, means establishing communicating between thetank and each burner, spaced collars as sociated with each burner,bearings suspended from the car and in which said collars are mounted tosupport each burner for partial rotation in either direction, a rack barsecured to one of the collars, a lever mounted. for pivotal movement andextended within said car, and a toothed segment carried by the lever andmeshing with said'rack bar, whereby said burner may adjusted justedaxially to dispose the burner at va V rious positions about its axis.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

CLARENCE M. STAR-NEH.

